Dear List, This came to me for your consideration from Ryan Sowers, RPT: >>As technicians we try to educate our clients so that they can take the best care of their pianos. I have attended several classes on humidity control at conventions and talked with experienced technicians whose opinions I respect. Combined with my a bit of personal experience with these systems I have become convinced that they are of substantial enough benefit that we are doing our clients a disservice if we are not actively promoting these products. However there is an aspect of humidity control that I do not understand. Is the humidifier component beneficial in environments where the relative humidity never drops below 42%? Since the humidifier is the most expensive portion of the system and also the only part that requires routine maintenance it is tempting to recommend installing the dehumidifier and the humidistat only. I called dampp-chaser and asked them if they had studied the effectiveness this and they said no and that the only system they recommend is the complete system. Here in the Pacific Northwest the indoor humidity practically never goes below 42 % except in cases where the client has wood heat. I believe in the value of humidity control, but am I wasting my client's money recommending the 5 part system when a simple 2 part system might be as effective? Sincerely, Ryan Sowers RPT Puget Sound Chapter<< Jeannie Grassi, RPT Associate Editor, Piano Technicians Journal mailto:jgrassi@silverlink.net
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